Improvement in dumping-platforms for railroad-cars



1. w. H'Anlsuu. Dumping Plaffurms for' Railroad cars.

,Patented 0st. 21,1873.

UNITED STATES 's Arnivr OFFICE.

JOHN W. HARRISON, OF NILES, MICHIGAN.

IMPROVEMENT IN DUMPlNG-PLATFORMS FOR RAILROAD-CARS.

` Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. $13,758, dated October 2l, 1873 3 application iiled August 9, 1875..

To all 'whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN'W. HARRISON, of Niles, in the county of Berrien and State of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in a Car Tipping Platform; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it pertains to make and use it, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form part of this specification.

The obj ect of this invention is the construction of a platform for use upon the runninggear of cars and wagons, for the purpose of unloading such material as may be dumped.

Referring to the accompanying drawing, Figure 1 is a plan view of the machine with the oor run to one side. Fig. 2is an end view of the machine with the bulk-head removed and the floor dumped.

A is a strip running the length of the platform, and having the projections a, which serve as a coupling-piece between the platform and the running-gear in cars and wagons. Upon this strip is placed a frame, consisting of the two pairs of longitudinal pieces B B and the three pairs of cross-pieces O C C. Between each pair of cross-pieces, and below the surface of the same, are journaled antifriction rollers x x ai. A shaft, D, having two pinionwheels, d d, near the outer pair of cross-pieces, a crank, E, on one end, and a head, c, with holes for a crowbar on the other, passes centrally and longitudinally through the frame, and is supported in the cross-pieces O C C. F F are bulli-head gages attached to the outer crosspieces, and forming therewith grooves ff for the rollers-on the sliding floor, and having holes g g for the locking-pins, and holes H H for convenienee. K is a sliding iioor, upon the under side of which are secured the cog-bars L L, to operate with the pinion-wheels, and the gagebars M M M, to operate between the pairs of cross-pieces and on the anti-friction rollers. N is a pivot-shaft passing longitudinally and centrally through the floor, and having on its ends the rollers u n. O O are strengthening-ledges. The platform and the sliding floor being in position, and the lock-pins withdrawn, the turning of the shaft revolves the pinion-wheels, which operation on the cog-bar forces the iioor to one side. The gage-bars, fitting snugly between the cross-pieces on the rollers, keep the iioor in position, and cause itto move easily. The pivot-shaft and the rollers thereon permit the iioor to dump as it passes over the rounded ends of the cross-pieces, and secure it from being thrown from the frame.

Dumping-platform cars of various constructions have been used; and the devices presented in this invention, taken separately, are, perhaps, not new; but the peculiar arrangement hereinset forth embraces combinations essentially different in plan and operation.

AWhat I claim is-,

l. The combination of the strip A', frame B B, O O O, friction-rollers v x, bulk-heads F F, and the shaft D, having pinion-wheels d'd, all substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

The combination of the sliding iioor K,

Vcog-bars L L, gage-bars M M M, pivot-shaft N, and rollers n u, all substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing I Ahave hereunto set my hand this 17th day -of 

